Happy New Year!

Most of us welcomed this new year with a sense of trepidation. The world is engulfed in violence, climate crisis and rising political and civil turmoil. I woke up this morning to find that World War III is a trending term on Twitter…

This Sunday, on the feast of the Epiphany, Christians around the world will ask God’s blessing on their homes by marking their door post or lintel with 20 + C + M + B + 20. The initials C, M, and B commemorate the Magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. They also stand for the Latin prayer-request Christus Mansionem Benedicat: “May Christ bless this house.”

The chalking of doors is connected to the ancient practice of putting marks on doors and windows, weaving strong protections into the very fabric of buildings. Doors represent distinctions and gateways, they are one of the first cultural articulations of space and self. Such rituals of placing symbols, whether they are hieroglyphs, horse shoes, or even welcome mats, have always been part of community life and are deeply bound in the conceptualisation of the sacred and the profane, the inside and the outside, shaping our own identity, our community and the idea of the other.

As Christians, such markings remind us of the welcome the Magi gave to the Christ-child. The gifts they brought were more than just gold, frankincense and myrrh. Those gifts represented their willingness to go beyond their comfort zone and journey into the unknown, carrying what was most precious to them, to offer it to a child king and welcome him into the world.

On the feast of Epiphany, let us remember that it is our duty and our joy to follow in the Magi’s footsteps, and being blessed, extend those blessings and hospitality to all who find themselves passing through our doors.

Ana-Maria Niculcea

Communications, Learning and Outreach Officer

You can read the whole epistle here.